Military "Considered Using Transport Aircraft for Wildfire Suppression... But Not Feasible for Now"

The military considered using large transport aircraft to combat wildfires in the Yeongnam region but concluded that it is difficult to implement immediately.

Lockheed Martin's C-130

On the 1st, the Air Force stated at the Ministry of National Defense regular briefing that regarding the use of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft for wildfire suppression, "We concluded that immediate implementation is limited due to various factors such as wildfire suppression effectiveness, aircraft reinforcement costs, and preparation time."

Lieutenant Colonel Jang Dong-ha, head of the Air Force Seoul Public Affairs Team, said, "The military will do its best to fulfill its fundamental mission of protecting the lives and property of the people by actively reviewing feasible alternatives for deploying military transport aircraft in wildfire suppression missions in the future."

Meanwhile, Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, recently requested military support with large transport aircraft instead of helicopters for wildfire suppression.